


Before the Sun Sets

by CurryCube



Category: IDOLiSH7 (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Character Study, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Friendship, Friendship/Love, Gen, Hugs, IDOLiSH7 Early Part 4 Spoilers, M/M, Music, Mutual Pining, Talking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-18
Updated: 2020-09-18
Packaged: 2021-03-08 04:54:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,297
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26520073
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CurryCube/pseuds/CurryCube
Summary: Sougo’s cheeks started to burn. He’d basically memorized his own melody while writing it last night, so to hear it come out of Nagi’s mouth was somewhat horrifying...it sounded so nice, not that that means anything. Nagi’s warm voice can make anything sound good.In which Sougo's rough-draft of a song gets accidentally sent to Nagi. The two bond over connections that were previously unspoken, and share some time before the inevitable.
Relationships: Ousaka Sougo & Rokuya Nagi, Ousaka Sougo/Rokuya Nagi
Comments: 4
Kudos: 12
Collections: IDOLiSH7 Rarepairs Week 2020





	Before the Sun Sets

**Author's Note:**

> Set between Part 4 Chapter 1 and Part 4 Chapter 2. So after Nagi starts taking group photos and acting strange but before their concert snafu. 
> 
> Slight canon divergence in which Sougo tries his hand at songwriting before Monologue Note.
> 
> Set for Day 4: Travel/Tour for i7 Rarepair week. You know why :)

_And...send._

Sougo taps the button on his phone, sending the collection of pictures to Tamaki. It’s a bit rough, but it’s only a first draft, after all. What could he really expect, he only pulled one all-nighter writing it...much to the chagrin of the makeup team who kept having to cover up his dark circles for the shoot that day. Sougo would say he hopes it gets easier over time, but he doesn’t really mean that. He loves the process of wracking his brain for lyrics, of stumbling through chords on his guitar simulator app, and of making it all fit together like a jigsaw puzzle he had no box for. His love of songwriting had maybe just begun to take shape, but it was always there, really. He hoped Tamaki would like it...no matter, he knew Tamaki wouldn’t judge him for his amateur efforts.

_Oh? What is this?_

Oh my gosh, Sougo hoped this day would come, Tamaki is finally texting with proper grammar!! Of all the countless times Sougo told him that as an idol, he should always…

Wait a second, that would never happen.

Sougo’s blood froze, thick and syrupy. His eyes darted back to the contact he sent his rough-draft song to. Since when did Tamaki spell his name as “Nagi”?

Sougo panicked (internally! He hoped..he’d be wrong, the panic was definitely taking over his face); Nagi actually _knew_ music! He would probably think Sougo’s efforts at songwriting were lame and dumb...Sougo checked his text settings. Nope, you could definitely not un-send something. Thank god he was in his room, alone, with sheet music strewn about him. And by this time of night, most of his dorm-mates were asleep, so hopefully Riku or Tamaki wouldn’t come barging in-

_Come to my room!!_ Nagi texted.

...Was he about to get scolded for writing a crappy song? That seems dramatic even for Nagi. Even so, Sougo knew he shouldn’t keep him waiting. 

He rose to his feet shakily. _Great job, Sougo, now Nagi knows you’re really an amateur,_ he chided himself. Nagi wasn’t a mean person...but Sougo sometimes didn’t know what to think of him. He always seemed so...deep. Like an abstract art piece that knew so much, but told so little.

Sougo shuffled off towards his room. Before he could even knock, Nagi swung the door open.

“Sougo!” His voice rang with that funny accent of his. So much emphasis on the o’s. “Come in, come in.”

Sougo entered sheepishly, closing the door behind him. Nagi waltzed over to his desk chair and sat down. Sougo took a featherlight seat on the edge of his bed.

“So, you’re a songwriter! I think that’s so _wonderful_!” He emphasized in English. 

“Ooh, uuh...I don’t know about that…” Sougo trailed off. It’s a bit of a stretch to already be calling him a songwriter, isn’t it?

“Nono, I can see it!” Nagi pulled out his smartphone and zoomed in on the pictures Sougo sent. “You already have a nice melody set up here; it would be easy to sing, and it’s not very complex, but I can’t recall hearing that kind of structure in a pop song before! Is this your first try writing a song?”

“Um, yes, it is…” Sougo blinked quickly in disbelief. “Are you sure it’s good though? I really only played around with a guitar app…”

“I hummed the melody to myself...it was very airy and light. Almost nostalgic…” Nagi wasn’t really looking at him, he seemed engrossed in his phone. He then started to sing the melody softly. 

Sougo’s cheeks started to burn. He’d basically memorized his own melody while writing it last night, so to hear it come out of Nagi’s mouth was somewhat horrifying. He noticed all the awkward parts Nagi sang, how it didn’t _really_ sound like a melody that would fit in a published song. But it still sounded so nice...not that that means anything, Nagi’s warm voice can make anything sound good.

“You don’t believe me, Sougo?” Nagi asked with a slight smile. He already knew the answer to that question.

“Well, not really, haha…” Sougo laughed nervously. 

“Well you should! I would know. That’s why you’re so nervous about me seeing your song. You probably meant to send it to someone closer to you, like Tamaki.”

Dammit...Sougo should’ve known Nagi was too perceptive for him. But now that there were no secrets, Sougo did him relax a little; the tension in his shoulders melted away without his permission. Nagi’s eyes floated off the phone and into Sougo’s. They were a soft sky blue.

“You would know, huh?” Sougo cracked a small smile. “You’ve been playing music since you were small.”

Nagi hummed in confirmation. “I’ve always...been connected to music,” Nagi’s smile faded. His thoughts kept drifting back to that one person.

Sougo picked up on this change. “Music can connect us in a special way, whether we realize it or not,” Sougo had no idea what he was thinking, saying something like that. He didn’t usually say his thoughts without a filter, but tonight felt different. Ever since they started rehearsing Sakura Message, Nagi’s been a little...tender. Sougo couldn’t imagine why, but he knew it had something to do with that song. Sougo wanted to know more, but mentioning Sakura Haruki would probably only make him sad.

Nagi’s eyes lifted from his lap and met Sougo’s again. He looked surprised to hear Sougo saying something like that. He didn’t think Sougo would be so open with him. 

“ _Yes_ , that’s true...just like with you and your dear uncle,” Nagi had never really talked directly with Sougo about these kinds of things, one on one. But Sougo started it, after all...

Sougo’s smile softened, “Yea, just like that. It was really easy to love someone who saw the world the same as me.”

Nagi smiled in return. Maybe Sougo wasn’t so opposed to talking about himself anymore. He’d sure grown up a lot. 

“He...had this way of looking at the world that was so happy, and beautiful,” Sougo continued. “He knew all the troubles of the world and of our family, but he still saw joy and excitement in it. So he played music, like he was celebrating,” Sougo chuckled a bit. His eyes started sparkling, Nagi noticed. 

“So...you’d say you see the world like that?” Nagi asked. 

“Well...not really. But I sure wish I did.”

Nagi got up from his chair, taking his phone with him. He flopped down roughly on his bed, left of Sougo. The force of his plop rocked Sougo a bit, earning a small giggle from him. Nagi pulled his phone dramatically to his face.

“Hmm let me see… _Even if the light is glaring at our backs, we still have each other; With your shoulder pressed to mine, I know I’m not alone_...yes, you’re so right Sougo, you’re very negative. You see no beauty at all,” Nagi punctuated with a fake pout.

“H-hey!” Sougo made a half-hearted grab for Nagi’s phone. Nagi stretched his long arm out way too far for Sougo to reach. “You can’t just read what I wrote back to me, that’s not fair!”

Nagi broke into giggles as he played keep-away with Sougo. He climbed over Nagi, on all fours as he reached for Nagi’s outstretched arm. Nagi saw his opening and struck - sweeping his leg onto Sougo’s to kick him off balance. Sougo fell to the right, landing on his shoulder and squeaking rather cutely in shock.

“Heh, that’s the last time you’ll attempt to best me in combat, young one,” Nagi announced in a perfect Japanese accent.

“Wh? Huh? I’m older than you!!”

“And yet you’ve lost! Now! If you’ll _excuse me,_ I was reading some touching lyrics by a very close friend!”

“Touching? They can’t be that great!” Sougo retorted, blushing and trying not to smile. _Close friend..._

“Oh stop it, Mister Sougo. Just like you said about your uncle, I can tell you see the world with more light than you dare to imagine normally,” Nagi continued reading, thankfully not aloud this time.

Sougo stayed on his back, feet hanging off of Nagi’s bed. Nagi sat up, propped up by pillows. Sougo crossed his hands neatly on his stomach. 

Nagi’s features softened from playful to warm. But then his eyes clouded.

“You know…” Sougo waited patiently for Nagi to finish his thought. He never did. 

Sougo didn’t want to pry. “Music can...connect people when there’s nothing left to go on,” Sougo mumbled. Something about Nagi’s sad face made him want to speak, made his heart move funny. “Maybe you learn a lot from songwriters. That’s what I think, listening to Z- uh, TRIGGER,” _Listening to Zero...and Haruki’s songs…_

Nagi didn’t seem to notice his slip-up as he locked his phone. “You should keep writing. And you should show everyone else what you write,” He was smiling wistfully.

Sougo sat up and turned his body to face Nagi. He sat with his legs crossed, his body open and relaxed. Sougo waited for Nagi to elaborate, but he never did.

“Why do you say that?” Sougo asked.

“You see the world in your own way. I can tell by how you talk and act. Plus...it’s always very special to hear songs from people with a lot of love,” Nagi didn’t even have to think about those reasons. Sougo’s heartbeat quickened. Whether it was due to the anxiety of being known or the joy of it he had no clue.

“Ok then...I think you should keep singing,” Sougo countered. “You...you don’t just give people joy when you sing, Nagi. You make yourself happy. And you hold us all together with your happiness. With your love.”

Nagi’s chest stung in response. What had he done...why did his group mates think so highly of him? What about when he had to go? He couldn’t have possibly been that bright to them.

“Don’t doubt me…” Sougo murmured. He saw the way Nagi’s eyebrows creased after his mini-speech. Usually Nagi wasn’t shy at all...what was going on? 

“You wouldn’t lie…” Nagi resigned.

“Of course not. You’re...amazing, Nagi.”

Nagi’s heart was past its breaking point. Since when did Sougo’s strictness melt away into this..unashamed kindness? It was almost too much to bear. Nagi folded into himself, hugging his arms.

But Sougo wasn’t quite finished. He could tell Nagi was holding something, maybe a lot of somethings, behind a mask.

“So...what are you thinking about?” Sougo knew it was a bold move, but he was going mad trying to figure out why Nagi was acting so different. Why the sudden interest in group photos, why the mournful glances at Riku and Tamaki and the rest of them. Why he seemed to be spending more time up late at night, not even watching anime, just...going through his phone.

Nagi stilled, even his breathing seemed to slow. “I would tell you if I could…”

“W-what? Nagi…”

“But I just don’t know what I’m thinking,” Nagi met Sougo’s eyes and smiled. His eyes seemed to smile so genuinely, even if they shone with subtle tears. 

Nagi wasn’t exactly one for touch, so...Sougo crept forward. He was on his knees, holding his arms out to Nagi. He looked at Nagi and Nagi peered back from behind tears. Nagi leaned forward, and that was all the confirmation Sougo needed.

Sougo held Nagi for quite a bit. He felt no sobs, but he knew there were probably tears streaming down his face. Despite being bigger than Sougo, he felt small in this moment. His warmth was curling deep into Sougo’s chest.

Soon enough, Nagi pulled away, and took a deep breath to steady himself. “Well right now I’m thinking about how much I like spending time with you. It was really fun getting to read your song,”  
Sougo chuckled a bit. He was so honest.

“Well, I really like spending time with you, Nagi. No matter how you’re feeling, I wanna be with you,” ...that may have been too bold.

But Nagi didn’t even flinch.

“That’s true from me to you too...Sougo,” He punctuates his sentence softly with Sougo’s name in a way that’s so sweet and kind...Sougo’s not exactly used to this kind of attention. But there’s something deeper than butterflies in his heart. He loves Nagi as a friend, as a groupmate. Maybe more. He doesn’t want to see him cry.

But Sougo knows that sometimes you have to cry. Even if you see the world through beautiful melodies, life can’t be all smiles.

“Hey Nagi...can you...show me some of your favorite songs? I wanna know,” 

“Oh? I suppose so...a lot of them are our songs, to be honest, or Zero’s songs...but I’ve also branched out into many different genres, since I love lyrics the most. I’ve listened to pop, rap, blues, rock-”

“Rock?! I had no idea!” Sougo’s eyes doubled in size. “Ok then you HAVE to see my favorite bands - I’m more excited about a good guitar riff myself, but I know some with very powerful lyrics! Many also have such interesting basslines that I wish we saw more of in pop music, but I understand why the…”

Nagi let Sougo ramble on as the man scrambled through the songs on his phone. He used Sougo’s distracted state to sit closer to him. Now Nagi’s legs were hanging off the bed while Sougo kept his legs crossed. Nagi scooted just a bit closer...just so their legs would touch slightly.

It was nice to feel him. To be with him. Just for a couple more nights before he left.

**Author's Note:**

> I've been sporadically reading Part 4 and you should really consider. Them.
> 
> Shout out to @i7rarepairsweek for coming up with the prompt and promoting my work!


End file.
